On Monday, the NHL’s fantasy hockey staff ranked the top five Florida Panthers in terms of projections for the 2025-26 season, and Sam Bennett was not ranked as high as some might think.
As part of NHL.com’s 32 in 32 series, Bennett fell to the bottom of the list at No. 5 in their rankings of Panthers players in terms of standard leagues and provides skater points and goalie wins projections ahead of next year. In the predictions, the center has been predicted to tally 60 points and is also listed as a “fringe top 50 fantasy forward.”
However, Bennett’s placement last in this particular top-five list comes just after he led the 2025 postseason with 15 goals and won the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Sam Bennett Slips to No. 5 in Panthers’ Fantasy Rankings
Bennett signed an eight-year, $64 million contract ($8 million AAV) with the Panthers on June 27, 2025, after having been with the Florida franchise since the 2020-21 season.
Perhaps Bennett has slipped in some fantasy projections for the upcoming year’s roster because the projections are based mostly on regular-season performances and not playoff surges. Therefore, it makes sense that top Panthers such as Sam Reinhart (No. 1) and Sergei Bobrovsky (No. 3) come above him as they often take in 80+ points.
Bennett’s career-high this year was 51 points, which is high but not necessarily considered elite compared to some of the other Panthers on the roster.
But the 29-year-old does bring value through hits and shots. Since 2021-22, Bennett has been one of just six players in the league to record at least 80 goals, 800 shots on goal, and 500 hits.
NHL.com’s projections for next season are based on a combination of regular-season performance, role stability, power-play usage, health, age, and potential regression or upside. Thus, Bennett’s fantasy value next season is mainly centered around his physical contributions.
Additionally, Bennett has had stretches where injuries (both upper and lower body) or line adjustments caused a dip in production. Projection models mostly take the average of multiple years, so an incredibly high-producing playoff run won’t dramatically shift his numbers.
Sure, his reigning playoff-MVP status helps him stand out, but Bennett’s regular-season numbers back up the projections that he’ll probably fall into the fringe top-50 fantasy forwards rather than the upper tier.